Just like publishing a new brochure, sending out a press release, or developing a new application form, there is usually a sign-off approval process for getting new content ready for the Web.

While some of their editorial processes were more systematic than others, few participants have formal written guidelines. The Web master for one county accepts whatever is submitted as long as it has the approval of the submitting department head. Sometimes this process requires him to make an additional phone call or return the document so it can be resent through the appropriate review process.

One town has a staff person whose main responsibility is getting documents from various departments, tracking them through the approval process, and then making them ready for the Web site. Other representatives cited less stringent processes: they publish any information that comes to them and fix any problems after the fact. These Web site managers said they rely on the contributors for the integrity of the document. And since the Web is dynamic, it's easy to make quick changes and corrections if needed.